Wikicamps vs camps

Phil C · Guru

Wikicamps vs camps

Netco · Senior Member

G'day Phil

Gotta agree with you on that subject, I also have not looked at my Camps 8 book since I invested in wikcamps for my iPad.

Cheers Col.

brickies · Guru

I have camps 8 out of date the day you buy it . Wikicamps up dating all the time

Nomes · Senior Member

I downloaded Wikicamps a few hours ago after reading this thread.

I found it very easy to use and extremely informative.

Thanks.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Sad face - very.jpg

I can fully understand the versatility and usability of apps such as Wikicamps etc that so many travellers utilise.

However, I have a six year old laptop running WIN7 -

and a five year old mobile phone without internet -

Neither of these will support or run apps.

Neither do I have a NavMan, Garmin, or any other GPS capable piece of technology.

Therefore, I have found Camps 5, 6, 7 and now 8 invaluable to assist in my travels.

I make full use of my archaic laptop to obtain the updates from the Camps Australia website - and save them to my laptop to view at my leisure.

I also have a variety of websites that have bountiful information to lead me to wondrous places - eg caravancaravan.com.au. Of course, there is my very favourite-ist friend Mr Google - web for info, maps for ideas, Satellite view to get an idea of layout and Street View to see where I might be going and what to look out for as I follow my paper maps to my, hopefully, intended destination.

Of course, the information provided by helpful travellers on this forum (and a couple of others I haunt) are very good in letting me know of other places that might take my fancy.

In no way am I denigrating any app, or apps, that travellers find useful all the way through to essential - or, indeed, those travellers who make successful use of them.

I really do just love to hold a lovely paper map in my hands to plan and decide where next may take my fancy.

Just like the holding and reading of what is probably called an "analogue book" ... one that is printed on paper.

Now, before you all make futile attempts to drag me, squirming, into the 21st century ... I fully realise that my time living as I do is fast being overtaken by the modern world and that, ultimately, I will be forced to throw away my devices, ideas and outdated enjoyments and update to these new-fangled things.

Cheers - and does anyone know where I can get a steam car - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 12th of July 2015 08:15:56 PM

Phil C · Guru

rockylizard wrote:
Gday...
I can fully understand the versatility and usability of apps such as Wikicamps etc that so many travellers utilise.
However, I have a six year old laptop running WIN7 -
and a five year old mobile phone without internet -
Neither of these will support or run apps.
Neither do I have a NavMan, Garmin, or any other GPS capable piece of technology.
Therefore, I have found Camps 5, 6, 7 and now 8 invaluable to assist in my travels.
I make full use of my archaic laptop to obtain the updates from the Camps Australia website - and save them to my laptop to view at my leisure.
I also have a variety of websites that have bountiful information to lead me to wondrous places - eg caravancaravan.com.au. Of course, there is my very favourite-ist friend Mr Google - web for info, maps for ideas, Satellite view to get an idea of layout and Street View to see where I might be going and what to look out for as I follow my paper maps to my, hopefully, intended destination.
Of course, the information provided by helpful travellers on this forum (and a couple of others I haunt) are very good in letting me know of other places that might take my fancy.
In no way am I denigrating any app, or apps, that travellers find useful all the way through to essential - or, indeed, those travellers who make successful use of them.
I really do just love to hold a lovely paper map in my hands to plan and decide where next may take my fancy.
Just like the holding and reading of what is probably called an "analogue book" ... one that is printed on paper.
Now, before you all make futile attempts to drag me, squirming, into the 21st century ... I fully realise that my time living as I do is fast being overtaken by the modern world and that, ultimately, I will be forced to throw away my devices, ideas and outdated enjoyments and update to these new-fangled things.
Cheers - and does anyone know where I can get a steam car - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 12th of July 2015 08:15:56 PM

John, John, John, John....

You know what Im gunna say so I wont say it..

Actually steam cars may be on the comeback, what with the price of fuel now days...

Cheers mate, be good

spida · Guru

I am a bit like you John. Do have a tablet but it stays in the caravan. Camps 8 is in the ute for quick reference. Use caravancaravan trip planner on the GPS and add camps8 sites when I change my mind in transit:) Wikicamps is great though but need internet for the tablet........ book is so much easier in the ute.
Mind you - I downloaded Camps8 to the GPS and now it has dump points and better icons so finding it very user friendly.

Peter1059 · Senior Member

Phil C wrote:
Hi all
A lot has been said about both of these fine products. I will give you my point of view.
We have camps 7 (the book) and wikicamps on my iPhone and ipad.
As far as I am concerned and despite some minor glitches wikicamps comes out on top every time, I have not opened camps 7 since I bought it.
We recently went on a tour of Eyre Peninsular in SA using ONLY wikicamps, I wanted to test its accuracy and ability to navigate via the tom tom app. I must say all of my expectations were exceeded.
Wikicamps is updated roughly every month, it clearly shows rest areas, free camps, caravan parks and now points of interest. The thing I like about it most is, if you select to navigate to a point it crosses to your selected GPS at the touch of a button.
Enough said. At under $10 for the app, its worth a try even if you don't use it.
Cheers

Hi Phil

What is this TOM TOM App, is this something that will allow me to use Wikicamps on my Tom Tom????..... I hope so!

Peter

Phil C · Guru

Peter1059 wrote:
Phil C wrote:
Hi all
A lot has been said about both of these fine products. I will give you my point of view.
We have camps 7 (the book) and wikicamps on my iPhone and ipad.
As far as I am concerned and despite some minor glitches wikicamps comes out on top every time, I have not opened camps 7 since I bought it.
We recently went on a tour of Eyre Peninsular in SA using ONLY wikicamps, I wanted to test its accuracy and ability to navigate via the tom tom app. I must say all of my expectations were exceeded.
Wikicamps is updated roughly every month, it clearly shows rest areas, free camps, caravan parks and now points of interest. The thing I like about it most is, if you select to navigate to a point it crosses to your selected GPS at the touch of a button.
Enough said. At under $10 for the app, its worth a try even if you don't use it.
Cheers
Hi Phil
What is this TOM TOM App, is this something that will allow me to use Wikicamps on my Tom Tom????..... I hope so!

Peter

Hi Peter

I have tom tom GPS app on my iPhone and ipad. Its about $90 so not cheap the beauty of having it as an application is its updated for free and works well. You can get it from the apps store in both apple and android smart phones.

If you hit the navigate button on wiki it asks you which GPS to use, if tom tom is installed then that's the one to use IMHO.

BTW I acknowledge that some folks may not have the technology for wikicamps. I guess my attitude is if we are out there, lets have the best technology to get there..

Cheers

-- Edited by Phil C on Monday 13th of July 2015 10:59:24 AM

PeterD · Guru

I rely upon CAW for the rest areas along the routes I travel. Does Wikicamps have these all listed or does it concentrate on camping spots?

As for addons for GPS navigators like Tom Tom, have a look at this. The CAW POIs work well with the Hema navigator

03_Troopy · Guru

spida wrote:
I am a bit like you John. Do have a tablet but it stays in the caravan. Camps 8 is in the ute for quick reference. Use caravancaravan trip planner on the GPS and add camps8 sites when I change my mind in transit:) Wikicamps is great though but need internet for the tablet........ book is so much easier in the ute.
Mind you - I downloaded Camps8 to the GPS and now it has dump points and better icons so finding it very user friendly.

If you download the maps and data for each state, when you have internet access, you don't need internet to use it. For wifi only (no 3G or 4G sim) tablet, connect to the internet how you normally would (possibly a wifi modem of some sort) then download the maps and data for wikicamps (it's pretty big so no good if you only have limited data allowances). When you are on your trip Wikicamps will use the tablets built in GPS receiver to locate you. Unless you have a wifi only Ipad, apparently they don't have a GPS receiver like normal tablets do biggrin

spida · Guru

The Microsoft Tablet doesnt have the GPS finder so I leave it in the van:) Use the Garmin instead with the trip planner done on the laptop and exported to it, so camps8 is great as an addition. I just really like a book as it is easier to see where roads go LOL. Bit bigger than a screen:)

brickies · Guru

Spida we have camp 8 but use map atlas book of maps it give a bigger picture of where your heading , I find the maps in camps8 to small of area and have to kept turning pages to follow where we are going when planing

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Like you John (RL), I love the feel of a map - I like to see where I am going, and plan the trip on the CAW7 book, then look up Wikicamps for comments and to check the co-ordinates match CAW ones (often one is different- we went to Sandy Point (NSW) and the Wiki co-ords took us to the wrong side of the river - we could see the camp across the way, for instance).

I like to read the comments in Wiki, and look at some of the pictures.

So for me - I like both.

Phil C · Guru

Hi Jules, hope you and the crazy bloke are all fit and healthy.

I believe that you are right, to this point I haven't had any issues with wiki, I do use CAW from time to time. I have another hema publication called the truckies bible. It has weigh stations, low bridge heights, high vehicle detours etc.

All good for each of us, I still advocate for the technology, paper in hands hhhhmmmmmmm

Cheers

jules47 · The Happy Helper

All well with us, leaving QLD this week, heading south, then west, to the meet up in Seabird in October.

Phil C · Guru

Good to hear Jules.. love to all from me and her....

Dunmowin · Guru

I am of the opinion that the people who started Camps Australia Wide have done years of research and put it into this publication. They deserve to be recompensed for this work.

Wikicamps has entries from un-informed people, those who have not researched the area, checked with local authorities etc to see if a particular camp is legal, time constraints, pet friendly etc. I am not saying that the grey nomads who have made entries into wiki camps are uniformed, but the research has not been completed to the same degree that CAW is.

My vote is always for CAW.

Santa · Guru

We use both, however, Wikicamps is certainly a lot more user friendly when out and about.

We have it loaded on an Ipad, all the info is available even with no WWW connection. smile

dishlicker · Senior Member

Hi John i to agree i will always look at a paper map and camps 7/8 as i am also not quiet computer savy but will be joining you all out there soon if i can find my way ps thats what happy hours for reading maps and planning cheers dishlicker